Archive for August, 2008
Labor Day Weekend Triple Header Begins Final WoO Late Model Series Push
SHINNSTON, WV – Josh Richards hopes his fourth-place finish in last Saturday night’s 50-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series A-Main at K-C Raceway in Alma, Ohio, provides the momentum he needs heading down the homestretch of the 2008 season.
The 20-year-old sensation from Shinnston, W.Va., sits third in the WoO LMS points standings entering this weekend’s tripleheader in Pennsylvania – a hefty 174 points behind cruising leader Darrell Lanigan, but only 30 points in arrears of second-place Steve Francis.
With less than a dozen events remaining on the WoO LMS schedule, Josh can see that a career-best points finish on the national tour is well within his grasp.
“Darrell has been so good all year so it’s obviously going to take something crazy happening for us to catch him,” said Josh, the 2005 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year whose personal-high points finish was sixth last season. “Now we’re just trying to gain points on Francis. It would be great if we could finish second.”
Josh will bring his Mark Richards Racing-owned Seubert Calf Ranches/Ace Metal Works/TSR-Tony Stewart Racing/Petroff Towing/MCB Motorsports/Ernie’s Auto & Hauling Rocket Chassis No. 1 to WoO LMS events this weekend at Bedford (Pa.) Speedway on Friday night (Aug. 29) and Tri-City Speedway in Franklin, Pa., on Saturday and Sunday nights (Aug. 30-31). Just last month, on July 31, he finished third in a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series show at Bedford driving the Ernie Davis-owned Rocket No. 25.
Last Saturday night’s WoO LMS stop at K-C Raceway was one of mixed emotions for Josh. He was pleased with a top-five finish after managing only a pair of quiet 13th-place runs earlier in the week (Aug. 20-21) in the two 60-lap WoO LMS A-Mains that comprised the fifth annual ‘Scorcher’ presented by Alltel Wireless at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn., but he felt he was in line to finish better if a couple caution flags hadn’t ruined his hopes.
After timing sixth-fastest and winning a heat race, Josh moved forward from the eighth starting spot to sit third when Shannon Babb spun out of the lead on lap 17. But he lost the position to Lanigan on the restart and stayed in fourth for the remainder of the distance, hampered by 40-compound Hoosier tires that changed for the worse after the caution period.
“I think if that didn’t happen to Babb (the spin) I could’ve gotten at least to second,” said Josh. “I wasn’t running real hard and my car felt real good, like it was just getting better and better. Then that caution came out and just killed us. My car was never the same again, just way too loose.”
TSR Heads to Wisconsin, Illinois For USAC Midget and Silver Crown Series Action Over Labor Day Weekend
INDIANAPOLIS (TSRS) – While the Labor Day holiday means an extra day of rest for much of the country, Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) USAC teams will be back on the road for two days of racing action. TSR’s Tracy Hines and Levi Jones will head back to Wisconsin on Friday with the USAC National Midget Car Series for the Seventh Annual Mid-State Equipment Sue Thiel Memorial. On Sunday, they’ll follow the road to Southern Illinois for the USAC K&N Silver Crown Series Ted Horn 100.
Friday’s event at the Dodge County Fairground Speedway in Beaver Dam, Wis., takes Hines to the half-mile dirt facility for the first time in his career. After finishing second at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wis., on Aug. 24, Hines will look to earn his first USAC Midget Series victory of the year this week. Hines leads the USAC Midget Series championship standings.
Jones, who earned a fourth-place finish at Dodge County in his last appearance at the track on Aug. 31, 2007, will ride the momentum of his first series victory of the year into Friday’s race. He is currently ranked fifth in the USAC Midget Car Series standings.
Sunday’s Ted Horn 100 takes the USAC Silver Crown Series to the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds. Hines has found the winner’s circle at the one-mile dirt facility twice in his career, having won back-to-back event titles in 2005 and 2006. He has also earned six top-five finishes and seven top-10 finishes at the track in 11 starts. Hines is tied for third in the USAC Silver Crown Series standings with Brian Tyler.
Jones enters Sunday’s race ranked fifth in the USAC Silver Crown Series standings. He finished 10th in his last appearance at DuQuoin on Sept. 2, 2007. Both Hines and Jones will look to win their first USAC Silver Crown Series event of the season this weekend.
Competitors taking part in Friday’s USAC Midget Series event at Dodge County have a unique incentive as it is the fourth and final race of the Midget Maynia Tour mini-series and a $5,000 point fund will be distributed after the event. The event will be the only race of the mini-series to be held on a dirt track. The Midget car owner earning the most points in the four events will receive a $1,000 bonus. The remainder of the point fund will be distributed among those teams that compete in all four Midget Maynia Tour events, which began in May. Friday’s finale was postponed from its originally scheduled May 30 date due to rain.
Friday at Dodge County, qualifying is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. CDT. More information regarding the Midget Maynia Tour can be obtained by calling Dan Thiel at 920-319-0177. The track’s official Web site is www.dodgecountyfairgrounds.com. For more information regarding Sunday’s USAC Silver Crown Series event at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, race fans can call 217-764-3200 or visit www.trackenterprises.com.
Levi Jones, driver of the No. 20 TSR/Chevy/Spike – USAC National Midget Car Series
No. 10 TSR/Chevy/Maxim – USAC Silver Crown Series (Dirt)
Coming off a USAC National Midget Car Series win at Angell Park Speedway last weekend, are you looking forward to running another Midget race this weekend?
“Getting our first Midget win of the year last weekend was just what our team needed. We’d come so close to winning the first night at Angell Park, but I jumped the cushion in the last few laps and we ended up third. I’d love to put Chevy and Bass Pro Shops back in the winner’s circle again on Friday night. Getting back-to-back wins would be great. Our dirt Midget program is doing very well right now and I think we’ll have a good chance of winning on Friday.”
You’re looking to win your first career USAC Silver Crown Series race on Sunday. What would it mean to win the Ted Horn 100 at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds?
“I’ve been really close to winning several Silver Crown events in my career, but for some reason or another, we’ve not been able to seal the deal. Our team has been working really hard to make sure we’re as prepared as possible when we get to the race track each night and I know that the guys will have a great car ready for me on Sunday. Putting the Ted Horn 100 in the books as my first career Silver Crown Series win would be really cool. It would be an honor to put my name in the books alongside some of the past winners of this event. I’m ready to head to DuQuoin on Sunday to see if we can do just that.”
Tracy Hines, driver of the No. 21/TSR/Chevy/Spike – USAC National Midget Car Series
No. 22 TSR/Chevy/Maxim – USAC Silver Crown Series (Dirt)
Are you looking forward to racing at Dodge County Fairgrounds Speedway for the first time on Friday?
“I always look forward to racing at new facilities and this Friday’s race at Dodge County will be another chance for us to put Chevy and Bass Pro Shops in the winner’s circle. I’d like to make my first event at Dodge County one that ends with a win, though. We had a really good run at Angell Park last weekend but it ended with us in second place. I’d like to see TSR finish one-two again on Friday, but I’d like to put the No. 21 in the winner’s circle this time around.”
Having won the Ted Horn 100 twice in your career, does that give you a good idea of what you need to do in terms of preparation for Sunday’s race?
“I’ve had some really good runs at DuQuoin in the past and I’m looking forward to racing there again on Sunday. It’s an unusual event in that we compete under the lights. But that makes for a great race for both the fans and the drivers. As with any dirt track, it can change and usually does over the course of the night, and we’ll have to keep up with it as we get ready for the feature. Hopefully, we’ll be able to qualify well and put ourselves in a position to stay up front during the race. A win would be a great way to end the holiday weekend.”
World of Outlaws At a Glance: Skagit Speedway, Grays Harbor Raceway & Cottage Grove Speedway
WHAT
• The Gold Rush Tour continues for the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series over the Labor Day weekend with four events in the always scenic Pacific Northwest. Skagit Speedway is first on the docket, with two full nights of racing on Friday, August 29 and Saturday, August 30. The series then heads to Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Washington for an event on Labor Day. The busy weekend wraps up on Tuesday, September 2 at Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon, which is one of just three tracks on the schedule where the drivers turn single digit laps in time trials. Heading into these events, two-time defending series champion Donny Schatz leads Jason Meyers by 105 points in the season standings.
WHEN
• On Friday, August 29 at Skagit Speedway, the pit gates will open at 3 p.m. Pacific, with the grandstand gates opening at 5 p.m. Pacific, and hot laps are tentatively set for 6:15 p.m. Pacific.
• On Saturday, August 30 at Skagit Speedway, the pit gates will open at 3 p.m. Pacific, with the grandstand gates opening at 5 p.m. Pacific, and hot laps are tentatively set for 6:15 p.m. Pacific.
• On Monday, September 1 at Grays Harbor Raceway, the pit gates will open at 2:30 p.m. Pacific, with the grandstand gates opening at 3:30 p.m. Pacific, with racing set for 6:30 p.m. Pacific.
• On Tuesday, September 2 at Cottage Grove Speedway, the pit gates will open at Noon Pacific, with the grandstand gates will open at 4 p.m. Pacific and time trials are tentatively set for 6:30 p.m. Pacific.
WHERE
• Skagit Speedway is located in Alger, Washington. From the North, take I-5 South to the Lake Samish Road Exit #240 towards Alger. Turn left on Lake Samish Road. Go 1 mi to
Old Highway 99 N. Turn right on Old Highway 99 N, go 3.3 miles to Skagit Speedway.
From the South take I-5 North to Cook Road, exit # 232. Then travel north from the Cook Road Shell on Highway 99 approximately 5 miles.
• Grays Harbor Raceway is located in Elma, Washington. Grays Harbor Raceway is located just minutes from Olympia and Aberdeen on Hwy 12 in Elma, WA, on the grounds of the Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds.
• Cottage Grove Speedway is located in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Take I -5 to exit 174, then travel one block south on Gateway, then go one block south on North 19th St., then head right for 0.3 mile on Ostrander Lane, then go 0.4 mile north on Douglas.
TICKETS
• On Friday, August 29 at Skagit Speedway, adult tickets will be $35, with tickets for juniors (Ages 7-17), as well as seniors (Ages 65-over) and Military personnel $25, with kids ages 6-under $10. For ticket information visit: http://www.skagitspeedway.com/pages/tickets.
• On Saturday, August 30 at Skagit Speedway, adult tickets will be $35, with tickets for juniors (Ages 7-17), as well as seniors (Ages 65-over) and Military personnel $25, with kids ages 6-under $10. For ticket information visit: http://www.skagitspeedway.com/pages/tickets.
• On Monday, September 1 at Grays Harbor Raceway, adult tickets will be $35, with tickets for youth ages 2-17 $17, with children ages 2-under admitted free of charge. For ticket information visit: http://www.graysharborraceway.net.
• On Tuesday, September 2 at Cottage Grove Speedway, tickets for adults will be $37, while tickets for children ages 12-under will be $20. For ticket information visit: http://www.cottagegrovespeedway.com.
ON THE INTERNET
• Listen live as the Voice of the Outlaws, Johnny Gibson, calls the action at all World of Outlaws Sprint Series events on the DIRTVision.com. cybercast, as well as on the DIRT Radio Network Go to http://www.DIRTVision.com for more information on all the features, including updated results from each night of racing as well as a chat room to interact with other fans listening to the action.
• The World of Outlaws is at: http://www.worldofoutlaws.com/sprint
• Skagit Speedway is at: http://www.skagitspeedway.com
.• Grays Harbor Raceway Park is at: http://www.graysharborraceway.net
.•Cottage Grove Speedway is at: http://www.cottagegrovespeedway.com
• DIRTVision is at: http://www.dirtvision.com
ABOUT THE TRACKS
• Skagit Speedway is a high-banked 3/10-mile oval. The track record of 11.118 seconds was established by Kasey Kahne in 2003.
• Grays Harbor Raceway Park is a high-banked 3/8-mile oval. The track record of 11.915 seconds was established by Craig Dollansky on August 27, 2004.
• Cottage Grove Speedway is a high-banked ¼-mile oval. The track record of 9.991 seconds at 90.081 mph was established by Joey Saldana on August 29, 2007.
Smoke Show Event Raises Record $217,000 for Speedway Children’s Charities
FORT WORTH, Texas (TMS) - Two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart possesses a passion for charitable causes that nearly rivals his one for racing.
Stewart made a special visit Tuesday to Texas Motor Speedway to conduct the inaugural “Smoke Show” fantasy camp to benefit the Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter and the event raised a record $217,000. That total makes the “Smoke Show” the largest grossing single-day event in the history of SCC-Texas Chapter.
“Tony has a huge heart when it comes to charities and we can’t thank him enough for the time and effort he put in for the ‘Smoke Show,’” Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said. “It was an incredibly successful event that will make a very significant impact with Speedway Children’s Charities and the non-profit organizations it provides financial assistance to through grants this year.”
The “Smoke Show” benefiting SCC was born from a public relations event with Stewart last year that was held with a select group of media. The concept was transformed into a fund-raising event and Stewart was more than willing to participate once again. Twenty-nine participants, who paid between $6,000 and $8,250 for the day, enjoyed the full race experience, complete with driver suit, parade laps, driver introductions, Victory Lane celebration and two 10-lap driving sessions where they got behind the wheel of a stock car. The group even got some driving tips and, of course, some good-natured ribbing from the 2006 Dickies 500 winner.
But the day didn’t end there – every camper also received a thrilling, high-speed three-lap ride-along around Texas Motor Speedway with Stewart. He also gave each a signed pair of Oakley driver gloves and a pair of Oakley “Tony Stewart” sunglasses as another memento from the day. Participants also received the opportunity to bid on items during a live auction at lunch that included a signed custom “Smoke Show” helmet, signed Stewart quarter panel and a signed canvas original painting of the No. 20 Home Depot car.
“The real heroes are the 30 people who made the generous donation to participate in this event,” Stewart said. “It was a lot of fun for me and I hope it was for everyone else today. It is a pleasure to donate my time for Speedway Children’s Charities and lend a hand in making an impact in the local community.”
The money raised will be distributed to non-profit organizations across Denton, Tarrant, Collin and Dallas counties. In 2007, the SCC-Texas Chapter distributed a record $752,466 to 198 organizations across the Metroplex. Since its inception in 1997, the chapter has raised more than $4.7 million for Dallas/Fort Worth area organizations.
Tony Stewart Racings Kraig Kinser Continues Gold Rush Tour
INDIANAPOLIS (TSR) –After a week of travel that led the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series teams from Montana to Alberta, Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Kraig Kinser is looking forward to the annual northwest swing, which includes races at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash., Grays Harbor Raceway Park (GHRP) in Elma, Wash., and Cottage Grove (Ore.) Speedway.
Kinser, who is continuing his first full season on the WoO tour since 2005, has a special place in his memory bank for the northwest, since it was at Cottage Grove Speedway where he scored his first career WoO victory. That historic night came on Aug. 31, 2004, when Kinser beat his father, Steve, to the finish line and captured the first of his seven career WoO triumphs.
On Friday night, Kinser will be making his debut at Skagit Speedway, a 3/10-mile dirt oval. He’ll be driving the TSR No. 20 Bass Pro Shops/Chevy/JD Byrider Maxim that he raced to a season-best third-place finish on Aug. 17 at Nodak Speedway in Minot, N.D. It will be the first of two single-night programs at the track, with Saturday’s winner receiving a $25,000 prize.
The Labor Day weekend action will continue Monday night for Kinser and the TSR team at GHRP in Elma. Kinser has made four career WoO starts at the track, with his best finish being fifth on Aug. 28, 2004, just three nights before his first victory at Cottage Grove. In 2005, he scored a pair of sixth-place finishes at the high-banked 3/8-mile oval.
Tuesday night’s return to Cottage Grove highlights the four race slate for Kinser, who is aiming to gain consistency as Outlaws continue their Gold Rush Tour. The high-banked quarter-mile track resembles many of the Indiana bullrings where Kinser learned his craft behind the wheel of a Sprint car.
The 2004 Kevin Gobrecht WoO Rookie of the Year winner remains 14th in the WoO Sprint Series Championship standings entering this week’s racing action. He has made 41 series starts thus far in 2008, having earned three top-five finishes and 10 top-10s.
Race fans unable to attend this week’s events can catch all of the action from Skagit Speedway, Grays Harbor Raceway Park and Cottage Grove Speedway on DIRTVision.com. Fans can listen live as Johnny Gibson, “Voice of the Outlaws,” calls the action as he does at all WoO Sprint Series events on the DIRTVision.com cybercast, as well as on the DIRT Radio Network. Go to www.DIRTVision.com for more information on all the site features, including updated results from each night of racing, as well as a chat room to interact with other race fans.
For both Friday and Saturday’s events at Skagit Speedway, pit gates will open at 3 p.m. PDT and the grandstands will open at 5 p.m. Hot laps are scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m. The official track Web site is www.skagitspeedway.com. For ticket information, call (360) 724-3567 during weekday business hours.
On Monday, the pit gates at Grays Harbor Raceway Park will open at 2:30 p.m. PDT with the grandstands opening at 3:30 p.m. Hot laps are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. For ticket information, visit the official track Web site at www.graysharborraceway.net.
For Tuesday’s program at Cottage Grove Speedway, the pit gates will open at Noon PDT with the grandstands opening at 4 p.m. Time Trials are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. For ticket information, call (541) 942-7561, or visit the official track Web site at www.cottagegrovespeedway.com.
Quotes from Kraig Kinser, driver of the No. 20 TSR/Bass Pro Shops/Maxim:
The annual trip to the Northwest is always a good time for the teams. Are you looking forward to getting back to Washington?
“I am definitely ready to race in the Northwest. When you leave Knoxville, you feel a little relieved because there is so much pressure on everything for the week there. These past couple of weeks, we’ve really been traveling a bunch, going from Iowa to North Dakota to Wyoming and back to North Dakota, and then from Montana to Edmonton and now to Washington.
“This week, we get a chance to relax and refocus before four races in five nights. It’s good for everyone to have a little break. I know the TSR guys are working really hard and we all want to have some success for the people at Bass Pro, Chevy and JD Byrider. We’ve had some good nights this year and a couple more here in Washington would certainly give us some momentum heading to California next week.”
Next Tuesday you get to return to Cottage Grove, where you won your first Outlaws race. What do your remember about that night?
“It’s one of those nights that you’ll always remember. It was my rookie year and, kind of like this year, we had some good nights and some that you’d like to forget. We came off a top-five in Elma, so we were on an upswing. I started sixth and a couple guys crashed in front of me early. I almost got caught up with Jonathan Allard, but I was able to steer clear and keep going. After the restart, I got by Dad (Steve Kinser) and then tried to catch (Craig) Dollansky, who was leading. He was setting a pretty good pace and then he started slowing down and we passed him for the lead. He stopped shortly after with a flat tire and my mind started worrying about if we had enough tire. As it turned out, we did and it was smooth sailing from there.
“Having Dad finish second was pretty cool. He said something about him beating his Dad one night in victory lane. It’s a night I’ll always remember.”
Tony Stewart - “You Better Lock It Up”
ATLANTA (JGR) – The back-and-forth banter between Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson’s characters during the Cleary-Lodge wedding reception in “Wedding Crashers” is appropriate dialogue for this weekend’s Pepsi 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.
With Jeremy Grey (Vaughn) and John Beckwith (Wilson) telling each other to “lock it up,” it’s a conversation drivers in the top-12 in points are having with themselves as only two races remain before the 12-driver Chase for the Championship is set.
While Joe Gibbs Racing driver and current Sprint Cup point leader Kyle Busch has already clinched his spot in the Chase – and with a series-best eight wins, the top spot to start the final, 10-race shootout – those behind him can secure their respective spots in the Chase with a strong run at Fontana and some not-so-strong runs by those on the outside looking in at the 12-driver cutoff.
For Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota and teammate to Busch, his sixth-place point standing has him 170 points ahead of 13th-place David Ragan. Should Stewart pad his lead by 26 points over Ragan or whoever holds the 13th position following Sunday night’s Pepsi 500, the two-time Sprint Cup champion will have locked himself into the Chase for the second consecutive season and for the fourth time since the Chase’s inception in 2004.
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing:
With the Chase for the Championship almost upon us, how will you approach it?
“I’ll tell you the same thing we told everybody from day one. We take each race one at a time. We just try to get the most amount of points and the best finish we can get each week. If you win races, the points take care of themselves. You just go out and take it one week at a time. You don’t worry about what’s going to happen the next week. You don’t worry about what happened the week before. You do the best you can. When you leave the track you look at the point sheet. You know where you’re at. You can’t really plan ahead. As race car drivers and as race teams, our job is to go out and do the best we can each week. With that attitude in mind, that’s how we’ve done what we’ve done in the Cup Series.”
What do you think about the Chase opening up the championship to anyone in the top-12?
“I think the more people they add, the more it makes you appreciate what you’ve done, because you have to compete against more guys. It adds a different perspective to the Chase than what it’s had in the past.
“For so many years the Cup Series was about winning the title based upon what guy had the most points at the end of the year because he was the most consistent. The Chase is just a change in time. I’m not sure it really matters what I feel about it. It is what it is. I think it’s been a positive thing for our sport, but we’ll just sit back and see what happens.”
How different is the feel of the race track from when you were at California in February to now?
“It has a lot more grip in the spring because it’s cooler. Now that it’s hotter, it’s a good bet that the track’s going to be slick on race day, which is good. That’s why the groove will widen out and that’s why guys can move around on the race track the way they can.”
It’s been proposed that reconfiguring Auto Club Speedway would produce more exciting racing. What do you think?
“They need to let the race track be. You can change all the banking you want. It’s still a two-mile track. The good thing is that the racing has become two- and three-wide and you can run on different spots on the race track. But that’s all you can hope for. It is what it is there. If they wanted to do something, they should’ve been a little smarter and built a half-mile or three-quarter mile oval. But anytime you build something that big, you’re going to spread cars out.”
For many years, and even today among those who follow the traditional stick-and-ball sports, NASCAR has been perceived as a Southern sport. Is that accurate?
“I don’t think anyone can call it just a Southern sport anymore. I mean, if you truly believe that, you just need to get on a plane, go to the Vegas race, go to the Fontana races, go to Sonoma (Calif.), go to Phoenix and see the crowds. I think that speaks for itself. It’s a nationwide sport. We go from Watkins Glen (N.Y.) to Loudon (N.H) all the way to Texas, Kansas, Sonoma, Fontana, Vegas, Phoenix. It’s East Coast to West Coast now. We don’t just race in the Southeast. We’re covering all four corners of the United States now.”
Donny Schatz Looking Forward to Oregon and Washington Races
INDIANAPOLIS (TSR) – Late August on the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series is one the best times of the year for Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Donny Schatz. The two-time defending WoO champion claims the annual trek through Washington and Oregon typically ranks as one of the most fun times he has during the 10-month marathon season in which Sprint car racing’s premiere drivers compete.
After barnstorming through his home state of North Dakota following his third Knoxville (Iowa) Nationals triumph, and then embarking on a trip from Montana to the oil-rich city of Edmonton, Schatz is excited for this weekend’s return to Washington and Oregon, where he’s spent many nights during the past 12 years he’s been on the Outlaws tour.
Schatz will be in action on Friday and Saturday night, driving the TSR No. 15 Armor All/Chevy/ParkerStore J&J at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. On Monday, he’ll travel to Elma, Wash., and race at Grays Harbor Raceway Park (GHRP) before concluding the northwest tour with a stop at Cottage Grove (Ore.) Speedway on Tuesday night.
Friday’s race at Skagit will be the sixth appearance for Schatz at the 3/10-mile dirt oval. It was all podium finishes for the Fargo, N.D., resident at the track in his first three races, including a victory on August 25, 2006. Last season, he scored finishes of ninth and 10th in the Skagit feature events.
Following the weekend festivities, Schatz and the Armor All team will travel south on Interstate 5 to compete in Elma, Wash., on Monday night. Schatz will be looking to pick up his second career victory in his 20th appearance at GHRP. His first win came in thrilling fashion on August 27, 2005, when he passed Steve Kinser on lap 37 of the 40-lap race in front of a record-breaking crowd. He charged from the ninth starting position to claim that victory, and last August, he charged from his 18th starting spot to finish sixth. The result was his fifth consecutive top-10 finish – a streak that Schatz has built to 66 top-10 finishes in a row, including last weekend’s results from Edmonton.
Tuesday’s event at Cottage Grove Speedway will serve as the final stop for Schatz in the northwest this season. The track, formerly known as Riverside Speedway, has offered the best of both worlds for Schatz. On August 24, 1998, Schatz scored his first career WoO “A” feature win at the high-banked quarter-mile dirt oval. Four years later, he looked poised to pick up win number two at the track as he held a commanding lead when a camshaft broke and he was credited with a 23rd-place finish. In last year’s event, Schatz put on a show for the capacity crowd. While battling for the lead on lap six, he went off the race track in turns one and two. He kept his machine running and rejoined the field on the backstretch in 14th position and spent the remaining 33 circuits moving forward. He got all the way back to second, but ended up just short of catching eventual winner Joey Saldana at the finish line.
Schatz enters this week coming off a second-place finish in the Oil City Cup finale at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton. It was his 14th runner-up finish of the season. He continues to lead the WoO season point standings with 6,480 points, 105 ahead of Jason Meyers. Schatz also leads the series with 12 “A” feature victories this season and is the only driver to finish in the top-10 in all 43 events contested this season.
Race fans unable to attend this week’s events can catch all of the action from Skagit Speedway, Grays Harbor Raceway Park and Cottage Grove Speedway on DIRTVision.com. Fans can listen live as Johnny Gibson, “Voice of the Outlaws,” calls the action as he does at all WoO Sprint Series events on the DIRTVision.com cybercast, as well as on the DIRT Radio Network. Go to www.DIRTVision.com for more information on all the site features, including updated results from each night of racing, as well as a chat room to interact with other race fans.
For both Friday and Saturday’s events at Skagit Speedway, pit gates will open at 3 p.m. PDT and the grandstands will open at 5 p.m. Hot laps are scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m. The official track Web site is www.skagitspeedway.com. For ticket information, call (360) 724-3567 during weekday business hours.
On Monday, the pit gates at Grays Harbor Raceway Park will open at 2:30 p.m. PDT with the grandstands opening at 3:30 p.m. Hot laps are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. For ticket information, visit the official track Web site at www.graysharborraceway.net.
For Tuesday’s program at Cottage Grove Speedway, the pit gates will open at Noon PDT with the grandstands opening at 4 p.m. Time Trials are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. For ticket information, call (541) 942-7561, or visit the official track Web site at www.cottagegrovespeedway.com.
Donny Schatz, driver of the No. 15 TSR/Armor All/Chevy/ParkerStore J&J:
You’ve always liked this part of the schedule. What is it about this time of the year that you like?
“Everything after the Knoxville Nationals is kind of downhill. The pressure cooker at Knoxville kind of peaks the season and then you head west and usually have a little more time to do some fun things. This year has been a little different with make-ups and rainouts, but this week is kind of getting back to the regular way. I really like Washington and Oregon. It’s beautiful country and the racing is usually pretty good, too. When I had my motorhome on the road, I really enjoyed the windshield time out there. Places like Skagit, Elma and Cottage Grove do a great job hosting us and the fans come out to be part of the atmosphere, too.
“We’re still focused on winning races, but the time out there seems to keep everyone excited about the next race.”
Two more second-place finishes last week and an unbelievable run following a crash in Edmonton. You guys keep putting up good numbers, but not the results you are looking for?
“We’re frustrated any time we don’t win races. Billings last week was a deal where we got beat in traffic and never got a chance to get back in traffic once Joey (Saldana) got by me. Friday night, what can I say? When you race more than 80 times a year, things like that might happen. Paul (McMahan) got sideways and left us with no place to go.
“The Armor All crew (Rick Warner, Shane Bowers, and Kyle Sundby) and the guys from the Bass Pro Shop team jumped in and got me back out on the track. We made the most of a bad night and put ourselves in a good position for Saturday. We did everything we could on Saturday night. The track laid rubber and we still found a way to get beside the leader. I thought I had a chance at the win, but we came up short because of circumstances out of my control. We know we are close and we’ll keep working hard. This week is a great opportunity for us to get the Armor All, Chevy, ParkerStore No. 15 back on the top of podium.”
WoO Late Model Series Returns to Bedford Speedway Friday
by Kevin Kovac
BEDFORD, Pa. — Last year’s inaugural World of Outlaws Late Model Series event at Bedford Speedway served as a hallmark moment for the historic track’s promotional team of J.R. Keifer, Jim Maybury and Dr. Dave Horne.
The renowned national tour’s return engagement this Friday night (Aug. 29) promises to take the half-mile Keystone State oval to even loftier heights.
DKM, Inc.’s Keifer, who began operating Bedford with Maybury seven years ago and added Horne to the mix last season, said last year’s blockbuster WoO LMS program has built anticipation for Friday’s 50-lap, $10,000-to-win special to an unprecedented level.
“There’s a lot of excitement about the World of Outlaws coming back to Bedford,” said the 50-year-old Keifer, a former dirt-track driver whose facility drew a huge crowd and a field of over 40 dirt Late Models for the 2007 WoO LMS show. “Last year’s race was one of those nights where the sun, the moon and stars all line up and everything works out great – there was a good surface, good car count, good racing and a good crowd. It definitely got us some respect and it’s the reason why so many people are talking about this Friday’s show.
“Now we’re going to try to make this year’s show even more special. We know all the drivers will do a great job on the track, but it’s up to us promoters to add to the ambiance so fans will have an even better time than they did last year.”
In that vein, Keifer and Co. have added a fireworks display to Bedford’s 2008 WoO LMS spectacular, which has been moved to the attractive Labor Day holiday weekend as opposed to last year’s late-September date.
Adding another element of freshness to Friday’s Outlaws competition, the speedway is sporting a new racing surface since most of the WoO LMS regulars last visited. DKM, Inc. applied for and received grant money from the state to obtain 600 truckloads of clay, which was laid down following the 2007 season in what was the first complete resurfacing of the fairgrounds track in two decades.
The resurfacing continued the steady capital improvement project undertaken by DKM, Inc., which has overseen the erection of a bright-as-day Musco lighting system and an almost entirely new outside wall since arriving as Bedford’s promoters.
“We’re real proud of what we’ve accomplished in seven years at Bedford,” said Keifer. “We’ve gotten the track to the point where we can bring in a nationally-known series like the World of Outlaws and give our fans a big show.”
WoO LMS regular Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., will lead the tour to Bedford, hoping to repeat his victory in last year’s first-ever event. He emerged triumphant after dueling for the lead with Bo Feathers of Winchester, Va., and Jeremy Miller of Gettysburg, Pa. – two drivers who are expected to enter Friday’s program.
No WoO LMS driver, of course, has more experience at Bedford than Rick Eckert of York, Pa., who won four consecutive Super Late Model titles (1989-1992) at the track before becoming a touring professional. He finished fifth in last year’s WoO LMS event.
Other WoO LMS travelers returning to the track for the second straight year include points leader Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., who finished sixth in the 2007 A-Main after losing three spots on the final lap due to a blown tire; defending tour champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., who finished seventh last year but won a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event at Bedford last month; Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y. (finished third in ’07); Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga. (fourth); Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va. (eighth); and Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga. (ninth).
WoO LMS followers who will make first career starts at Bedford are Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., who drives NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Clint Bowyer’s dirt Late Model, and Rookie of the Year contenders Vic Coffey of Leicester, N.Y., and Joe Isabell of Pennellville, N.Y.
The field is also expected to include an array of regional and local standouts, including Bedford regulars Steve Everhart of Hollidaysburg, Pa., who will clinch the 2008 track title simply by entering Friday’s program; Jeff Rine of Danville, Pa., who owns a track-best four wins, including the last two in a row, this season at Bedford; four-time Bedford champions Scott Haus of Hamburg, Pa., and Jack Pencil of Bedford, Pa., whose 10th-place finish in last year’s WoO LMS A-Main was the best among the track regulars; three-time track titlist Scott Rhodes of Somerset, Pa.; and Gary Stuhler of Greencastle, Pa., who enjoyed plenty of success at Bedford during his Hall of Fame career.
Friday’s program, which also includes a $1,000-to-win event for the Limited Late Model division, carries an admission price of $30. Tickets for kids 5-12 are $5, while youngsters 4-and-under will be admitted free and pit passes will be $40.
Pit gates are scheduled to open at 4 p.m. and the spectator gates will be unlocked at 5 p.m. Hot laps are set for 7 p.m., followed by WoO LMS time trials and racing.
For more information, visit www.bedfordspeedway.com.
The WoO LMS will remain in Pennsylvania following Friday night’s checkered flag, heading to Tri-City Speedway in Franklin, Pa., for the a pair of $10,000-to-win cards on Saturday (Aug. 30) and Sunday (Aug. 31) as part of the track’s Oil Region Labor Day Classic.
Ted Horn 100 On Tap for Silver Crown Drivers Sunday Night at DuQuoin
by Dick Jordan
INDIANAPOLIS - Shane Cottle of Kokomo, Ind. will defend his “Ted Horn 100” title Sunday night at the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds in round seven of the 2008 USAC K & N Silver Crown Championship Series presented by Optima Batteries. If the form holds true Sunday’s race will be just as unpredictable as the rest of this year’s slate.
Six different drivers have won the six races contested so far in 2008 and Cottle is sixth in the standings, his best finish a third at Terre Haute, Ind. in July.
Series point leader Jerry Coons Jr. has a 41-point lead over Dave Darland with 66 points available Sunday. Coons finished sixth in last year’s DuQuoin race.
Darland would like to add DuQuoin to his resume, since he’s won at the other two mile dirt ovals, the Indiana and Illinois State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis and Springfield respectively.
Brian Tyler and Tracy Hines are tied for third in the current standings. Tyler won the “Tony Bettenhausen 100” at Springfield August 16 and Hines won at DuQuoin in 2005 and 2006.
Coons and Hines are both seeking to become USAC “Triple Crown Champions.” Coons needs both the 2008 Silver Crown and National Sprint titles, while Hines needs the National Midget title to join former USAC “Triple Crown Champs” Darland, J.J. Yeley, Pancho Carter and Tony Stewart. Coons is second in the Sprint points and Hines is leading the Midget standings.
Sunday night’s race is a 100-miler and continues a tradition dating back to 1948!
Jones Leads Tony Stewart Racing Sweep at Angell Park
Sun Prairie, WI - Levi Jones of Avon, Ind. led a 1-2 “sweep” for the Tony Stewart Racing Team in Sunday night’s 30-lap “Hall of Fame Classic” USAC Mopar National Midget feature at Angell Park Speedway. Teammate Tracy Hines finished second to solidify his series point lead. Jones trailed Dave Darland for 20 laps, then put his Chevy/Bass Pro Shops Spike/Chevy in the lead on lap 21 and led the final 10 laps for the win. Darland ended up third ahead of Cole Whitt and Darren Hagen. The race, presented by the Sun Prairie Tourism Commission and Miller Genuine Draft, was co-sanctioned by BMARA.
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: August 24, 2008 - Sun Prairie, Wisconsin - Angell Park Speedway - National Midget Auto Racing “Hall of Fame Classic” - Presented by the Sun Prairie Tourism Commission & Miller Genuine Draft (Co-Sanctioned by BMARA)
FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Coons, 2. Hess, 3. Wipperfurth, 4. Bacon, 5. Morgan, 6. Noble, 7. Hagen, 8. Gough, 9. Pickens.
SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Hines, 2. Malone, 3. Loyet (#05x), 4. Kuhn, 5. Luebke, 6. Hatton, 7. Darland, 8. Armstrong, 9. Fiscus.
THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Sweet, 2. Jones, 3. Swanson, 4. Boat, 5. DeSelle, 6. Fike, 7. Ehrgott, 8. Altig, 9. Mayhew.
FOURTH HEAT: (10 laps) 1. East, 2. D.Ray, 3. Whitt, 4. Waelti, 5. Criswell, 6. R.Ray, 7. Dull, 8. Barber,
SEMI: (12 laps) 1. Darland, 2. Hagen, 3. Hatton, 4. Barber. 5. Fike, 6. Morgan, 7. Criswell, 8. Armstrong, 9. Gough, 10. DeSelle, 11. Altig, 12. Noble, 13. Luebke, 14. Ehrgott, 15. LeJeune, 16. Mayhew, 17. Fiscus, 18. R.Ray.
FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Levi Jones, 2. Tracy Hines, 3. Dave Darland, 4. Cole Whitt, 5. Darren Hagen, 6. Jerry Coons Jr., 7. Brad Sweet, 8. Davey Ray, 9. Scott Hatton, 10. Chad Boat, 11. A.J. Fike, 12. Brady Bacon, 13. Bobby East, 14. Mike Hess, 15. Dustin Morgan, 16. Critter Malone, 17. Kody Swanson, 18. Aaron Fiscus, 19. Brandon Waelti, 20. Joe WIpperfurth, 21. Brad Loyet (#05x), 22. Ryan Criswell, 23. Brad Kuhn. NT
**Pickens flipped during the first heat. Barber flipped during the fourth heat. Loyet flipped on lap 21 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-20 Darland, Laps 21-30 Jones.
NEW NATIONAL MIDGET CAR STANDINGS: 1-Hines-917; 2-Whitt-842; 3-East-836; 4-Sweet-822; 5-Jones-774; 6-Bacon-740; 7-Hagen-676; 8-Darland-649; 9-Coons-638; 10-Kuhn-589.
NEXT NATIONAL MIDGET RACE: August 29 - Beaver Dam, Wisconsin - Dodge County Fairgrounds Speedway - 7th Mid-State Equipment “Sue Thiel Memorial Classic”